Selective photoswitching of a dyad with diarylethene and spiropyran units

A dyad bearing diarylethene and spiropyran units were synthesized. Ultraviolet light, visible light, H+, and Fe3+ inputs induce the multiple interconversion among the colorless diarylethene with spiropyran form (), the colored closed form of diarylethene with spiropyran form (), ME (), MEH (, ) and MEH·Fe3+ (). The efficient energy transfer from the anthracene emission to MEH·Fe3+ or ME·Fe3+ form was achieved. Using multi-mode photo switching in a dyad , logic gates may be built.